Water-softening apparatus



Jan. 22, 1929,

C. P. EISENHAUER WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS s Sheet S-Sheet Original Filed July 6, 1925 Q E Q MG a Q t. a Q E. Q s. w: 5

Q fin 2 Mm mm @w I 3 w Q m E Q Q 9v E G ww T L Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,836

, C. P. EISENHAUER WATER SOFTENI NG APPARATUS Original Filed July 6, 1925 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'lq I 1 F744.

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.TTvvemA CHARLES F. [/smvHm/ER, 00

Wan

Jan. 22, 1929. 1,699,836

- C. P. EISENHAUER WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS Original Filed July 6, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Fiqa 7 r F1q.5. I

Jwemior CHARLES PEsENHnuER,

Mal/4111M automatic softenin the by-pass valve;

Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,699, 36 PATENT OFFlCE l CHARLES P. EISENHAIJ'IELR, OF DAYTON, OHIO, LSSIGNOR TO THE DUBO COMPANY, 01'

DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

'WA'IER-SOFTENING APPARATUS.

Driginal application filed July 6, 1925, Serial No. 41,580. Divided and this application filed December 28, 1925. Serial No. 77,949. Renewed June 11, 1928.-

My invention relates to valves and is a division of my application Serial No. 41,580, filed July 6, 1925. h

It is the object of my invention to provide a valve particularly attached to water softening apparatus having means for being moved yieldingl in one direction, hydrostatically 1n the ot er direction and locked in a given position, together with means for effecting the interlocking at a pre-determined time.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete apparatus with the softening tank partial y in section and with the salt tank in section;

Figure 2 is a section through a typical hydraulic valve;

Figure 3 is a view partiallyin section of a softening line valve;

Figure A is a view partiallyiin section of Figure 5 is an elevation partially in section showing the locking mechanism of the refill valve;

Figure 6' is a view partially in section ot the saltvalve.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the incoming hard water line which passes through an apparatus actuated by the hard water such as a water meter, generally The line from the meter is designated 48. llt meets a vertical pipe at right angles designated 49 which'leads to the bottom of the softener tank 50 which communicates with, at the point marked 51 beneath the grating 52, the screen '53 which is carried by the grating. This screen and" grating are retained in position b the bolts 54. The liquid passes upwar ly through the softenmg material 55, through the"screen 56 mounted on the grating 57. The'bolts 58 ,retain thesepieces-in position. The liquid passes out at a point above the screen on top of the tank at 59, through the pipe 60 to the fitting 61 which contains an' injector. This fitting is connected on one side to the pipe 60 and on another side to the pipe 62 from the pipe 48. On a third side it is connected to the brine line 63 and on the fourth side it is connected to the outgoing service line .64. This service line is connected to the incomifng hard water line by-pass pipe 65 which 1 leads into the fitting66 which is a portion of the valve member of a by-pass valve 41. The pipe 67 leads to service, for either hard or so t water depending upon the state of the system. The brine line contains a valve 43 which is the refill valve and a valve 45 which is the brine valve; It enters the brine tank 46 at 68 and goes downwardly to the bottom of the brine tank where it terminates in a bell 69 which is a slight distance above the bottom of the tank and which is buried beneath the layer of gravel designated 7,0. t

valve 38 controls the passage of the hard water from the meter to the bottom of the softener tank 50 and the valve 36 controls the passage of the hard water from the main line to the top of the tank 50. A general control valve is designated at 22, a pipe 35 extending from this valve to the valve 36, which in turn communicates by a pipe 37 with the hard water inlet valve 38. The'valve 38 is connected by a pipe 341* to a drain valve 34 in the drain line 34?. A pipe 33 connects the control valve 22 with the drain line to permit the escape of any accumulated liquid in the chamber of the control valve 22. A pipe 40 leads from the control valve 22 to the by- I The float 71 in the brine tank which is supported on the float arm 72 is pivoted at 82 on the refill valve 43. This float arm 72 is connected to a bell crank 81 pivoted at 82 on a bracket 83 on the housing 84 otthe refill valve 43. The lower end of this bell crank has pivotally connected to it at 85 a plunger 86 which .is guided at one end in a bracket 87 carried by the housin of the valve 43 and at the other end is .gui ed in an aperture 88 in the side Wall of the housing. A helical spring 89 surrounds the plunger 86. It is located between the bracket 87 and the cotter pin 90 carried by the plunger 86. The head of this plunger 86 is adapted to be thrust above the piston 91 which is carried on the piston rod 92. This piston rod 92 is connected to the diaphragm 93.

i There is provided at 80 on the end of the bell crank elongated slot 78 at its upper end. Working 81 a vertical link 79 which has an a 25 of the casin 43 of the valve.

stem 94 is threaded at 95 in the piston and piston rod 91 and 92 res actively. This valve stem extends downwar y into the brine line where it seats against a partition 96 arran ed in that line, such partition having an 'ori ce 97 within a valve seat 98 against which the valve member 99 seats. This valve member is carried on the lower end of'the valve stem 94. Beneath the valve seat is provided an aperture 100 in the pipe which is closed by a 2 screw plug 101 for draining and cleaning purposes. Below the piston 91 is located a helical spring 102 one end of which abuts the piston, the other end of which abuts a top 103 of a screw plug 104 which fits into the base This spring is located wit in a chamber 105. Threaded into the interior of the screw plug 104 is an upwardly PIlOjECtlllg dome like member 106 which acts as the upper retaining member for an interiorl located sprin 107 which is mounted upon t e washer 108 a ove the packing 109 around the valve stem 94.

he springs 102 and 107 resist the down ward movement of the valve stem and valve 85 member against the hydrostatic pressure which is applied to the diaphragm in the chamber 110. A screw cap 111 is provided for holdin the diaphragm in position against the shoul ers 112 of the casing 43. Thus pressure applied against the diaphragm in the chamber 110 will depress the diaphragm, ,compress the springs 102 and 107 and upon the valve 99 permitting the fluid t0 flow in either direction through the chambers 113 and 114 in the fitting which forms a part of the brine line 63 where this form of valve is used in the brine line. It will be understood that the mechanism of a n mber of these valves is similar althou h they are used for difierent purposes in t e system. In this case the standard valve shown in Figure 10 has added to it the locking device of Figure 15.

Returning to Figures 1 and 6, it will be 5 observed that a lever 115 has ivotally supported on the outer end thereo at 116a link 117 in which is threaded a valve stem 118. This valve stem is adjustable in the link 117 and is fixed in its adjustment by the lock nut 50 119. This valve stem is contained within the upper portion of the brine valve casing or cap 76. This casing has threaded at 120 in the upper portion thereof an inverted cup shaped member. This cup sha ed member is desx5 ignated Between t e innerend of the cup shaped member and a collar 122 on the valve stem 118 is a helical spring,123.

Between a shoulder 124 on this cup shaped member and the top of a packing washer 125 is a second helical spring 126 which serves to keep the packing washer 125' and the packing 127 in position. The lower end of the valve stem terminates in a needle valve member 128 which projects through the pipe 129 to close the orifice 130 leading from the pipe .75

129 into the diaphragm chamber 131 above thti diaphragm 132 which controls the brine va ve.

The construction of the diaphragm 132 is the same as that found in Figure 2 save that the valve member 99 is arranged as in Figure 3 above the partition 96 rather thanbelow it. The movement of the diaphragm serves to open and close this valve.

Turning to the by-pass valve shown in Figure 4, it will be understood that the upper part of the valve is the same as'that shown in Figure 2, the valve stem 94 being operated by the diaphragm 93. The valve member 15 slightly different in that it carries a second valve stem 151 threaded into an extension of it at 152. The valve member 99 seats on the upper side of the partition 96 as in the case of the brine valve and other valves. -Below the opening 97 through which the fluid passes is located an elongated threaded collar 153. 1

This threaded collar carries the by-pass pipe 65 and is also provided with a restricted mouth at its lower end 154 having an open- It ing 155 and a valve seat 156. for receiving the bypass valve member 157. The valves 1 designated 34 and 36 are of the type shown in Figure 2. The valve designated 38 is that shown in Fi with the exception that the valve 99 is on the top of the partition instead of below it.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :T-

1. In combination, a valve consisting of a filling line, a valve member adapted to open and close said line, a valve stem, a pistonon said valve stem yieldmg meansto move sald piston and valve stem in one direction, a l

diaphragm connected to said valve, a chamber ada ted to permit pressure to be ap lied to said diaphragm independent of the filling line, anda spring pressed locking member adapted to engage said piston to lock said 1 valve in a given position, and a float and float arm connected with said locking means to retract it against aspring to unlock the valve when li uid associated withithe float rises to a pre etermined level. I

2 In combination, a valve consisting of a filling line, a valve member adapted to open and close said-line, a valve stem, a piston on said valve stem, yielding means to move said PlStOIl and valve stem in one direction, a

gure 3 which is just as Figure 2 1i diaphragm eonn ber adapted to p to said diaphra locking member 5 ton to lock said the float rises t 10 second valve op gm, and a spring ect ed to said Valve, a chamrmit pressure to he applied pressed apted to engage said pislve in a given position, a connected with said lock with 0 a predetermined 1eve1, a erated in one direction by yielding means and in t hydrostatic pressure Working on the diaphragm, a needle valve controlling said hydrostatic pressure, a loose connection between said float arm and said needle valve, whereby the float may move a predetermined e needle Valve is actuated to he other direction by admit the hydros In'testimony whereof, I aifix my signature. CHARLES P. EISE N HAUER. 

